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RM 532.11 Crowd & Riot Control Manual

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RM 532.11 Crowd & Riot Control Manual NOTICE This manual normally contains pictures, but the pictures are temporarily unavailable. SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT CROWD & RIOT CONTROL MANUAL RM 532.11 SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT CROWD & RIOT CONTROL MANUAL REVISED: 12-98 The purpose of this manual is to establish training guidelines for handling crowds and riots. General Order 532.11, implements this manual and requires personnel know its contents and follow its guidelines when handling crowd and riot situations. This manual is for Department use only and does not apply to the standard of care, in an evidentiary sense in criminal or civil proceedings. The instructions, guidelines, and policies contained in this manual are not intended to nor should they be construed as a creation of a legal standard of safety or care higher than the minimum the law requires with respect to third party claims. This policy statement is an expansion of that found in the General Order. It is the policy of the Sacramento Police Department to respond quickly and effectively to any crowd or riot situation in the most professional manner possible. SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT CROWD & RIOT CONTROL MANUAL CHAPTER ONE CIVIL DISORDER: INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS AND PROCEDURAL DUTIES A. Civil Disorder and the Police Mission 1. First Amendment Rights and the Role of the Police a. In determining the appropriate departmental response to an incident, personnel must keep in mind that "freedom of expression" is a Constitutional, First Amendment right, which includes informational and demonstration activities, (e.g., passing out leaflets, picketing, rallies, marches, etc.) b. When that right is lawfully exercised, it allows individuals and groups the opportunity to openly express support of, or opposition to, issues without fear of reprisal. c. First Amendment rights exercised within the law must be respected and protected by all departmental personnel. 2. The Police Mission a. In every case, when dealing with any crowd or riot situation, it is the policy of the Department to concentrate on our basic law enforcement mission of protecting life and property. b . This shall be done in a rapid, firm, fair, and impartial manner, using only the reasonable force necessary to accomplish the mission. 3. Levels of Civil Disorder Officers may be tasked with confronting three (3) levels of civil disorder. a. Passive disobedience - unlawful assembly and non-violent behavior. b. Active disobedience - unlawful assembly and riotous behavior. c. Anarchy- urban terrorism and violence. B. Definitions of Spontaneous and Scheduled Events 1. Spontaneous events may create threats to the public health and safety. They may include crowd disorders, First Amendment Right activities, school incidents, and labor strikes. 2. Scheduled special events require permits and large numbers of persons may gather or participate. They may include parades, cultural programs, musical rock concerts, block parties, and sporting events. C. Spontaneous Event 1. Initial Response a. Prompt and decisive action to an impending disturbance or existing civil disorder is essential to a successful police operation. b. Accordingly, the first officers to arrive at the scene are crucial to the overall performance of the Department. c. A spontaneous event has the potential of escalating from minor neighborhood problems to major riot situations. d. The proper departmental response is dependent upon early assessment by the first officers assigned to the call. e. The first officers assigned to the call of a disturbance should observe the situation from a safe distance and gather information necessary for a later determination as to the course of action. This information should include: (1) Size of the crowd. (2) Specific location and/or direction of travel. (3) Whether the crowd is violent or non-violent. (4) The purpose of the disturbance, if this can be determined from observations of placards, signs, and/or chanting. (5) Whether the crowd is organized or chaotic. f. The sector sergeant should be appraised of this information. 2. Responsibilities of the Sector Sergeant a. As soon as possible, the sector sergeant shall proceed to the scene and be appraised of all pertinent information to determine the severity of the disorder. b. The sector sergeant shall gather additional pertinent information and take the following courses of action: (1) Establish an on-scene command. CROWD & RIOT CONTROL 1 OF 26 SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT CROWD & RIOT CONTROL MANUAL (2) Make and broadcast a situation estimate. (3) If warranted, establish a command post. (4) Request number of additional officers or other needed personnel and equipment. (5) Establish a staging area. (6) Note/determine access routes for emergency vehicles. (7) Determine the need for outside assistance required (e.g. ambulance, fire, public utility, etc.). (8) Estimate the number and type of casualties/ injuries, if any. c. If an emergency condition exists, the sector sergeant shall notify the watch commander and recommend the initial course of action. The watch commander shall take command of the situation and shall become the Incident Commander. 3. Responsibilities of the Incident Commander a. It is the responsibility of the incident commander, or his/her designee, to assess the overall civil disturbance and/or crowd control incident(s) and determine the appropriate response actions, degree of departmental involvement, and selection if appropriate operational modes. b. The incident commander, regardless of rank, is responsible for incident activities, including the development and implementation of strategic decisions for approving the ordering and releasing of resources. c. The incident commander or his/her designee, shall establish a perimeter around the affected area, isolating the area of involvement. (1) A perimeter is established to control access to and departure from the event. (2) In some instances, (e.g., barricaded subjects and hostages), establish an inner perimeter to contain the event, and an outer perimeter at a distance, to keep the general public from entering a danger area. d. Additional units shall be directed to a selected staging area and be equipped with riot gear. e. Make an estimate of the situation, including: (1) The type of event. (2) The location of the event. (3) Type of structure or vehicles involved. (4) Size of area involved. (5) Number of additional officers needed. (6) Location of the command post. (7) Location of the staging area. (8) Access routes. (9) Additional assistance or resources required (Command Post Van, ambulance, fire, etc.) f. The incident commander must make decisions about the control methods to be employed, depending on the degree of violence and type of event. Before taking enforcement action, consider the following: (1) If only scattered individuals are violent, determine whether it is better to arrest those individuals or disperse the entire crowd. (2) Available resources. (3) The ability to establish safe and clear escape routes. (4) The ability to assemble arrest teams. (5) The capability of a loudspeaker. (6) If proper, the ability to warn of an unlawful assembly. (7) The ability to accomplish dispersal and/or arrests. D. Scheduled Special Event 1. In preparing for planned events, the same essential tasks as performed for spontaneous events are performed. However, because of the benefit afforded by time, the tasks can be performed with more deliberation and detail, and occasionally the sequence can be changed. 2. Evaluating the Event CROWD & RIOT CONTROL 2 OF 26 SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT CROWD & RIOT CONTROL MANUAL a. Determine the type of event (Parade, demonstration, sports event, concert, etc.) (1) Consider the sponsor: Have past events been peaceful or violent? (2) Consider what groups might oppose the sponsor: Have these counter groups been peaceful or violent? (3) Consider the location of the event: What are the peculiarities of the location? How many people can it hold? What about access to and from? What are the control points in establishing a perimeter? (4) Consider a staging area for an Incident Command Post and a staging area. 3. Meet with sponsors. a. Although meeting with event sponsors is not required, cooperation between the event sponsors and the Incident Commander or a designated representative should be encouraged. b. If a meeting is arranged, the incident commander or designated representative should discuss needed permits, applicable laws, and enforcement policies. c. The incident commander or designated representative, should discuss ways to maintain communication with sponsors throughout the event and should consider establishing checkpoints and schedules for future contacts. d. If a prior meeting is not possible, then information relating to the size of the event should be collected. Leaflets, public announcements, and media reports should be examined. 4. Plan for perimeter management. a. Determine the number of officers needed to police the event. b. Develop an operational plan and enforcement policy and assure the plan(s) and policy(ies) are communicated to all involved Department personnel. E. Incident Command Post 1. The Incident Command Post (ICP) is a location for the coordination of police activity by the incident commander. a. The ICP acts as the focal point of all police resources committed to quell a civil disturbance. b. It is both a launching platform for enforcement activity and an outlet for press releases. c. Refer to Manual of Orders, OOO 532.07, Command Posts, regarding general purpose, policy, and procedures.
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